Fraser Goes 'Around the World'

Now that "The Mummy" has secured star status for its leading man, Brendan Fraser, Warner Bros. wants the actor to star as Phileas Fogg in yet another remake of the Jules Verne adventure story "Around the World in 80 Days." (The story served as the basis for the 1956 Best Picture Oscar-winner, starring David Niven, and for a TV mini-series a few years ago, starring Pierce Brosnan.) Warners wants "Mummy" director Stephen Sommers to direct the new picture, says Variety. Meanwhile, Fraser and Sommers may also reteam for a sequel to "The Mummy." Fraser will soon be seen as the title character in "Dudley Do-Right," a live-action version of the '60s cartoon.

In other casting news, Robert Redford has withdrawn from the starring role in the golf film "The Legend of Bagger Vance," though Redford still plans to produce and direct it, says Variety. His new choice for leading man? Brad Pitt.